Martial Arts Definitions B
Badik:
A Malayan dagger shaped like a butterfly whose straight blade bears one sharp edge.
Ba Gua Zhang:
Translated as Eight Trigram Palm. One of the three...
Kendo Shai Glossary
Kendo.com tells us that Kendo, the “Way Of The Sword” is the traditional Japanese style of fencing that today is a modern martial art...
Are You Training A Martial Arts Style Or System?
Current times discussions and written treatises on martial arts training often treat the terms "Style" and "System" as interchangeable, yet they are not at...
Martial Arts Definitions W
Wa:
“Accord.” An ancient Japanese term for harmony, accord, and coordination.
Wado ryu:
“Way of peace.” A Japanese style of karate developed from jujutsu and earlier karate...
What “Fighting!” Means to Koreans
Korean winters are incredibly cold. The summers are hot and wet, and walking outside can feel like walking into a warm bath. That's not...
Japanese Okinawan Vocabulary
When pronouncing Japanese and Okinawan words, remember that each syllable is stressed equally when saying multi-syllable words (i.e., ka-ra-te, not kar-ate). All syllables of...
Martial Arts Definitions S
Sabom:
“Teacher” or “instructor.”
Sai:
A pronged truncheon about fifteen to twenty inches long, used as a defensive instrument against various weapons such as the sword. It...
Martial Arts Definitions J
Jeet Kune Do:
(Cantonese) “Way of the intercepting fist.” A collection of basic mental and physical concepts, observations of combat maneuvers, and philosophies of attitude...
Martial Arts Definitions G
Gake:
Hooking action used in some ankle and sacrifice throws.
Gakko:
School.
Ganmen:
A target area referred to in sport karate. It includes all of the head and face...
Martial Arts Definitions O
O:
“Big” or “great.”
Obi:
Belt.
Obi-otoshi
Belt drop
Odachi::
See “tachi.”
O-goshi:
Major hip, hip technique
O-guruma:
Major wheel. Judo foot technique.
Oi-zuki
Step punch.
Okuri-ashi-harai:
sending foot sweep, Judo foot technique.
Omote:
“Front” or “obvious.”
Oni ken:
Extended knuckle fist.
Orei:
“Respect” or...
Iai or Batto
The very word Iai is the subject of numerous grading essays and has many layers of meaning but its basic interpretation seems to be...
Martial Arts Definitions Z
Zanshin:
A state of mind which is cultivated by the martial artist of complete awareness and alertness, anticipation of success in combat.
Zazen:
“Sitting meditation.” The meditative...
Martial Arts Definitions H
Hachimaki:
“Head wrapping.” A light cotton towel, also known as a tengui, wrapped around the forehead to restrict perspiration from running into the eyes and...
Martial Arts Definitions R
Randori:
Free sparring.
Rei:
(Ray) “Soul or Spirit” A bow that begins in the tan tien (seat of the soul located in the abdoinal area). The term...
Sensei – The Origin and Meaning Word
In various martial arts there are different names for the titles of some master ranks In the following text I am going to mention...
Basic Sumo Terms
Banzuke: An ordered list of men fighting up through the ranks of professional Sumo; a ranking sheet.
Basho: A sumo tournament. In a sanctioned competition,...